The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-15
RELICS OF JEFFERSON.
HIS ROUGH DRAFT OF THE DEC.
TAXATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
Tho Changes Suggested by Men ~
Promincnt-The Desk Upon which
Jefferson Wrote IN Great Document
Of American Liberty.

attracted the attention Of the authorities
OF the department Of state, some new and
Interesting Information concerning that
sacred instrument of American freedom
was ELECTED on the subject OF its prcserya-
ton and p~erigrinations. In the library OF
the department OF state on exhibition
under lock and key and glass are four pre-.
cious relics of the great declaration, the
desk upon which II was written in Phila-
delphia, the ancient, time discolored
antique foolscap sheet upon which the frs,
draft was written, the engrossed and
signed copy on parchment and ono OF tho
authorized fac smiles.
The desk is very similar 10 the modern
portable writing desks, made of mahogany,
with NJ inlaid border OF white wood. Ii
consists OF a box two inches deep and
twelve by fourteen inches square, with a
brass handled drawer on the right side,
with partitions forming boxes for ink
stand stall with II, sand, pens and paper.
The top consists OF two leaves, which,
when in use, being opened, the upper IL
supported ON a rest and the lower rests on
the table forming the usual angle. The
inside surface rs covered with green bnize.
With the desk is n photograph copy Of q
paper in J~efierson's handwriting, M fol-
lows:
eth. Jefferson gives this writing-desk 10
Joseph Coolidge, Junr., as a memorial Of
affection. II was made from n drawing Of
his " by Ben Randall, cabinotmakcr, Of
Philadelphia, with whom he first lodged
on hs arrival in that city, in May, 1879,
and IL the identical one on which he wrote
the Declaration Of Independence. Poll
tics, rs well as religion, has its supcrsti-
lInna Ihaaa Uuininr gIrannth xytlh st,a.
may n day give imaginary value 30 this
relic for It's associations with the birth OF
the great charter Of our independence.
Monticello, Nov. IL, 1926"
On the same sheet, in the %chirography
Of the nineteenth President, are the words:
Presented 10 the United States by the
helms Of the late Joseph Coolidge, jr.
Placed IN my possession by the Hon. Rob
ert G. Winthrop, Of Massachusetts,, and by
me transmitted TO Congress with a special
message. X. II. HAYES.
april %, 1880"
The original draft, written In JefrcrHon's
fine hand, fills but two pages Of n sheet Of
paper Of ordinary fodlscap size. II WIS
foldcd in three parts, and ut the crcascs is
worn completely through by handling and
Ill year. OF gnawing 81 the tooth Of time.
II has but few corrections In the original
text, each being noted on the margin by
the name 81 their author on the commit.
tce. The entire first text was drawn by
Jefferson. and the corrections are eNcln.
siycly matters Of phri-ingto suit the hob
bcS OF literary notions 81 the other two.
For instance, Jctlcrson's p~hracolugy in
the Introductory lines;
Prom that siborllnation In which they
have hitherto remained and to"
Has AN ink line drawn through II, and the
WORKS, in his own hand, doubtless sug.
gesicd hy his colleagues
''fo dissolve the political bands which
have ooiIncrtcd them viii, another and 10
sunni. rte. ~
an ruiaiitutch- Dr. franklin, In the next
panrrl,li, substituted ynndcr absolute
despoiisgn' instead Of ''to arbitrary
power. Mr.. Adams contcmpiuously
substituted ''thc present King 81 Grat
Britain" In place ~ the jefferson words
This pr sent majesty" franklin Suhsti.
tuicd "dcsiroy US for "dclugc us In
blood
A few other similar changes were made
In the hnst text ON this Invaluable little
sheet, which not only beans the mortal
tnccry oi that triumyiratc Of patriots, JET.
fcrHon. Franklin and Adams, but was the
: paper over which the parliamentary DELHI
ertions nnd action ii the Continental
Congress ~ l776 wcrc had up 10 the cul.
minaiing act OF cngrossmcnt ON the broad
time stained vollum which bears the sigma
tures Of the immortal Rfty -Six
In reference 10 the writing Of thcdcclam-
ton, jefferson, In n letter to Dr. James
Mcaso, dated at Monticello, September Ia,
lsz,, at eighty-two years 81 age, and lets
than aycar before his dcaih, Nlys that when
writing II he lodged In n time story brick
house, owned by Mr.. uraai. II whom he
rented the second floor, consisting 81 u par
lor and bedroom. lie wrote II In the par
lor. 0raaf, he says, was the son Of q Ger
man, was newly married and a ~bricklaycr
by trade. The house, he says. WIS on
Market street, south side, between Seventh
end Eighth streets. The engrosnd o
vas held, with the archives Of the Con
ssss;s, CoasIs-s, by ChaT... Thomson,
secpiary 81 that body, during the entire
war, who kept Il acrcdly accurr irom capt.
ure during the repeated flights of Congress
before the invading British iorcca.
Alter the Inauguration OF Washington,
NE first President dircctcd that the
ptcianai.os OF Independence, constitution
oft The United States and other important
Suie papers bc placed Ia possession of
hogcr Alden, who had been deputy acrrc-
try OF the Continental Congpya, under
CHARLES Thomson, and was then appointed
ehid clerk 81 the department II state for
forclRn niiain. IL has been In the Gus
tody Of the department Of state, with an
tntermisaon, ever since. Upon the Brit
ish invasion of Washington, In 1914. A
was saved, with other archives of the dc.
partment, by Disburring Clerk Teaaonton.
On May ~, 1924. Congress ordered 200
copies Of The Declaration of Independence
10 b. made In fac Eimilc, 10 bo distrib.
uted ~ follows: Two copies 20 each sur
uvor olthc signcn, two 10 the President " !
Tie United StalcS, two 90 the Vice. pnrai- |
dent Of the United States, two 10 'tbe
late President Mr.. Madison, two 60 Mar.
quir Lafayette, twenty b. the two houses
a. Congress, twelve Ia the different de.
partmcnts al government, two for tho
Presidents houac, two for the supreme
oour room, one a. each 81 the roycrnon
Of States. one to each branch of the Lris- |
hiurcs " States, one 10 each Governor of !
Territories Of the United States. ono 10
the Legislative Councils IT each Territory.
and the remainder 60 the different mi.
ycritics and college, M objected by the
President Of the United States. John
Quincy Adams, who WIS Secretary Of Smic
At the time sent The copy 10 his father. one
Of The committee, 10 draft the instrument,
will an appropriate letter.
The plate from which the fac similc was
made j. still In possession Of the depart
mont Of state. In making the transfer for
The copy the process employed absorbed
M much of the ink that the parchment
original IL almost ilcgible.
Many years ago the original WIS placed